# I have achieved bead storage perfection!



## aroma (Apr 12, 2010)

I have come to the end of my bead storage journey.
You can see some of my earlier attempts in this thread.
But now, I've reached true humidity bead enlightenment.

Here are some photos of my new bead trays in a couple of humidors.
First, my new guest humidor, a Madison from famous-smoke.com:



















I really like the Madison. It's very well-made for an inexpensive humidor: it comes with an aeration grate (!), it's lined with real Spanish Cedar, instead of just a veneer, and its exterior finish is reasonably attractive. (If you're interested in the Madison, watch Cigar Monster or CigarAuctioneer - you can get it for about half of famous-smoke's everyday price.)

Next, my aging humidor, a Tuscany from CheapHumidors.com, modified for better air flow:



















The bead trays each hold an ounce of Heartfelt beads. They breathe well, but the plastic tray keeps water and bead dust off your sticks and humidor. Their small size makes them easy to fit in and around sticks, and because each contains one ounce of beads, it's easy to see how many beads each humidor contains at a glance. Because the beads are in pouches, if you accidentally knock one over, it won't make a mess.

To rehydrate, I just give each one a few sprays of distilled water from a small spray bottle from the "travel toiletries" area at Walmart.

Here's a close-up of one of the trays:










Construction details to follow in the next post:


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## aroma (Apr 12, 2010)

Each tray started out life as a 3 oz travel bottle, from the travel toiletries section at Target:










I cut each to 1 3/8 inches high, using a knife and scissors, and punched holes, using a paper punch:



















Beads go into a little sack from the party department at Kmart:



















Then, just fold the sac in half and insert it into the plastic tray upside-down.
That's it!


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## Swany (Aug 20, 2010)

Awesome, I will have to remember that for when I get back to CONUS.


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## Russell Pta (Jun 28, 2010)

very nice setup. i like your guest cigars also. i havnt ever tried beads but they seem to be all the rage around here. i guess someday i will set up a coolidor or something and give them a shot.


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## Enlil (Jun 10, 2010)

Very creative bead containers. I like the idea of the paper (hole) punch to perforate the plastic, has started me thinking...

Great pics as well
Thanks for the thread


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## swingerofbirches (Jan 12, 2010)

Great post! 
Very inventive/creative/resourceful way to store your beads!


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## jeepthing (Jul 16, 2009)

Nice, very creative


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## jtree26 (Aug 20, 2008)

Nice design.


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## cchapman (Sep 2, 2010)

Thanks for the post. This something I'm going to try.


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## aroma (Apr 12, 2010)

If anybody wants to make some of these, I suggest you grab the 3oz travel bottles from Target ASAP (they're 99 cents). I was at my local Target recently, and they seem to have replaced these bottles with ones that are a different shape and are made of a different material, which wouldn't work very well as bead trays.


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## zeavran1 (Aug 18, 2009)

Beads are the best. Don't know how I lived without them.


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## ducman (Feb 6, 2010)

Stupid question #1: If you're putting the beads in a bag, why bother with the tray?


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## Herf N Turf (Dec 31, 2008)

ducman said:


> Stupid question #1: If you're putting the beads in a bag, why bother with the tray?


Beads in bags, laying directly on a wooden surface will leach salts into the wood, discoloring the wood.


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## aroma (Apr 12, 2010)

ducman said:


> Stupid question #1: If you're putting the beads in a bag, why bother with the tray?


Also, beads in a bag can leak "bead dust" in your humidor and on your cigars, especially if you over-moisten the beads, causing them to crack.


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## K. Corleon (Jul 22, 2010)

Well played sir, I personally just use the beads already in their little containers from Heartfelt, but there is nothing like having your own creation, while looking beautiful and functioning perfectly. It's a good feeling. You did a great job, especially punching those holes. I can tell your a perfectionist like me.


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## Herf N Turf (Dec 31, 2008)

aroma said:


> Also, beads in a bag can leak "bead dust" in your humidor and on your cigars, especially if you over-moisten the beads, causing them to crack.


Not if you sift them through a metal strainer before bagging and then mist to charge.

Then again, I suppose you could over mist them, but really


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## Leafs42084 (Sep 15, 2010)

Ive been looking for a container of some sort...

I think im just going to use a plate lol. I feel like the mesh isnt really necessary cause I dont really move my humidor. Also, I dont want to put the mesh bag on the wood cause ive heard it could leave stains. With a good ol fashion plate, no worries about dust falling on cigars either


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## marked (Jul 29, 2010)

Leafs42084 said:


> Ive been looking for a container of some sort...
> 
> I think im just going to use a plate lol. I feel like the mesh isnt really necessary cause I dont really move my humidor. Also, I dont want to put the mesh bag on the wood cause ive heard it could leave stains. With a good ol fashion plate, no worries about dust falling on cigars either


A plate - even a small one - seems like it would take up too much room. And even though you don't move the humi, it seems like a wayward bump or bobble in taking them in or out to charge them would be a mess just waiting to happen.

I started a thread where I did what aroma did here. It works really well, and it keeps the beads contained to a small footprint within the humi.


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## aroma (Apr 12, 2010)

marked said:


> I started a thread where I did what aroma did here. It works really well, and it keeps the beads contained to a small footprint within the humi.


I missed that thread. Nice to know that somebody else has tried it!


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## marked (Jul 29, 2010)

aroma said:


> I missed that thread. Nice to know that somebody else has tried it!


Here it is.... http://www.cigarforums.net/forums/vb/cigar-accessory-discussion/275735-inspired.html

My results weren't as pretty as yours, but it works great.


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## aroma (Apr 12, 2010)

Looks good.
Punching thru 2 layers of plastic must have been a chore.


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## marked (Jul 29, 2010)

aroma said:


> Looks good.
> Punching thru 2 layers of plastic must have been a chore.


It wasn't that bad, actually. Plus, there's also the bonus that for every punch, you make two holes.


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## aroma (Apr 12, 2010)

My local Kmart is no longer carrying the small pouches. Here's a thread that mentions a couple of alternative sources:
http://www.cigarforums.net/forums/v...worry-no-more-say-good-bye-stockings-get.html


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## Goodtymeguy (Oct 5, 2010)

I will be heading to wally world tomorrow, great idea and it doesn't take up much space in the humi! Thanks.


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## Chuffy (May 9, 2007)

Dude! Pure genius!


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## kenelbow (Jan 14, 2010)

That's an ingenious solution. If I hadn't added empty tubes to my latest Heartfelt order I would give this a try.


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## Humidor Minister (Oct 5, 2007)

I'm not sure you got it right. I think you should just dump everything in my humi and start over.:biggrin1: actually that looks like a good way to disperse humidity very evenly. Nice job.


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